May 21, 2012

The first picture is from our mothers day lunch with all the Hermanas of the Peru lima west mission

The second is me and my new companion Hermana Campbell in our living room

Me out side of our new house. I think it's a pretty cute house

The fruit in Peru is SO much better than anything we have in Utah. I'm pretty sure this fruit doesn't even exist in the states. Its call Cherimoya! It's wonderful!

Saturday we a tough day. Pretty much we got blown off by everyone that we had visits with and we walked A TON so we decided that we deserved milkshakes! We made then ourselves. Peru does have better fruit then the states, but we defiantly have better ice-cream all in all it was still good

This week has good. I have a few crazy stories for you all but first let's start with the spiritual stuff so you don't all think I'm a bad missionary ha-ha. This week was really good. We had a bunch of new investigators come to church for the first time. I was so impressed with our ward. They were really welcoming. They made sure they felt welcomed and it was a really great experience for them. I really am thankful for the members here in San Felpie. They really understand the importance of their example as members of the church. It makes missionary work so much easier! We are teaching a women named Liliana with her two daughters. She is amazing. So humble. I've come to realize that humility really is probably one of the greatest qualities a person can have. When we acknowledge that we need the Lord in our lives and are ready to receive his help and guidance the spirit really can work miracles with us. It's become my goal to be more humble as a missionary, because if humble investigators make the best converts then I bet humility makes missionaries the best they can be.

Anyhow that's my spiritual story, now let's talk about the fact that I just about got robbed this week and it was HILARIOUS!
So Wednesday my companion had to do something with her visa so I got to go on e splits with Hermana Bailey, then that night around 8ish we had to take a bus home. The busses at this hour are crazy full because everyone is going home from work. We waited forever to find a bus that was headed for our area. Finally we found one. It was tiny and crazy busy but at 8 at night we couldn't really afford to be picky. So we cram into the bus. It's so crowded that we can hardly get on. We are basically standing right in front of the door.. Since it was so crazy crowded I decided I would switch my back pack to the front of me, so I have my back pack in my left hand and am trying to put my photos in my bag so I can have two hands. What I didn't realize is the man who had just came on to the bus had grabbed a hold of the tassel of my bag. I thought it was strange because he got on and then almost 30 seconds later was pushing the button to get off. All of the sudden about 5 people on the bus start shaking their fingers at me, saying stuff really fast that I wasn't understanding. This women who is sitting on the floor of the bus starts tapping me and is saying "No" "No" and I really was just super confused. So the bus starts to stop for this man to get off and they lady sitting on the floor GRABS MY BAG and holds on to it for dear life. Like it's her child or something. The man that is trying to get off the bus looks at her and she just tells him calls him a drunk and a thief. So he books it. Meanwhile I am just super confused. I'm thinking that this women is trying to rob me which is just ridiculous because she is sitting on the floor of the bus, what's she going to do ha-ha. Once the bus doors closed she handed my bag back to me and then her and the five other wonderful people on the bus explained what they had saw. Basically this women saved me from getting robbed. I was really impressed. The Lord really does watch out for us. I'm thankful that we were on the bus with such wonderful people.

I think the thing I found most hilarious about the situation is that the only thing I had in my backpack was my scriptures and 10 centimos. Which is basically like 5 cents. I think the robber really would have been quite disappointed ha-ha. Really though it made for a funny experience. Hermana Campbell didn't notice what was going on till after. Cuz it really happened in about a 30 second period so afterwards she asks me ¿Que paso? or what happened. I looked at her and in English replied. "I just about got robbed."

Something else I think I should mention, why didn't anyone tell me Whitney Houston died! I feel like that is something Courtney probably should have mentioned in one of her letters with random pop culture updates! The other day we were walking and for some reason or another " I wanna dance with somebody" popped into my head. I started singing it and then my companion informed me that Whitney Houston died. . . months ago. . . Man I am seriously behind.

O.k. one more funny thing. Or at least I think it's funny. Last week we were in church having a lesson about Oracion. Prayer. And we were talking about the importance de prayer for our leaders and what not and then one of the women in our ward raises her hand and informs us that Mitt Romney will be running for president against Obama (sad that people in Peru know more about what is happening in the politics of the US then I do. Yes.) Then she adds that we should pray for him since he is a Mormon. HA HA, You got to love it. They know nothing about his political stance or anything, but they know he's a Mormon. So if he ends up winning I'm going to claim that it was the prayers of all the righteous members here in Peru.

Anyhow. . . I think that's about all I have for this week. Today is a fake p day. We only get to write home and then it's back to work because this Wednesday we get to go to the temple.
I hope you are all doing well. I got a bunch of letters from some amazing friends last week. So I'm working like crazy on writing you awesome people back.

So a little something about the culture of Peru. mothers day here is a big deal. all the schools do cultural dances and Saturday till Sunday is a giant party. I'm starting to think that maybe they just throw a huge party here for any excuse ha-ha.

I got to talk to my family yesterday which was bitter sweet. I loved getting to talk to everyone but one hour isn't enough. our connection was bad too so it was a little hard to understand what was being said. But over all I was happy just to talk to them. I think the hardest part of the phone calls is saying goodbye. I'll be honest it was heart breaking to know that the next time I'll get to hear my mom's voice is at the end of December. After I hung up the phone I broke down. I haven't cried that hard in my whole mission. I spent the majority of my companions phone call in my room crying. . . pathetic maybe. . . but it's true. I was lying on my bed thinking about why I'm here and if it's all worth it. for a few minutes I had my doubts. I thought about all the people who reject me every day. if it really worth being a world away from my family for 18 months (and three weeks) to be rejected like this. but then I remembered something. Zoryda and Sheyla in Antares. And our investigators right now in San Felipe. For the 100s of people who turn down the message of Jesus Christ and the restored gospel. There are those who accept it and there are those who better their lives for it. When it all comes down to it. I know God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is our savior and that he loves us. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints truly is Gods church on the earth and I know with all my heart that if people would live the precepts of the gospel their lives truly would be happier. So when it all comes down to it, it is worth it. After I came to that realization I got on my knees and begged the lord to help me refocus on my mission. To help me to love the people of Peru like I love my family so that I can serve them with all my heart. As I prayed I felt a numbness come over my pain and I felt like a missionary again instead of a home sick Sadie. it was probably the most immediate answer to a pray I have ever received. I'm thankful to the lord for that. I know that his answers aren't always so immediate but this time I'm thankful he saw fit to answer my pray so fast.

Any how that is my story. I'm not sure if it makes me seem really weak or pathetic. But I figure if you are reading this you want to know how my real mission is going, not just fake fluff.

This week was good. We are struggling to find new people to teach but we have some really good investigators. Luci, Saul, Kenji, Edith. I'm excited for Edith. She has been coming to church for a while now. her son just got baptized and as soon as her and her husband get married she wants to get baptized. her husband has been inactive for a long time now but is so happy to be coming back to church. He said something interesting in our last lesson. "The world offers you a fun time, but the church offers you spiritual peace. I've finally realized that what really makes you happy in life is spiritual peace." What an amazing family! Basically all is well here in San Felipe! I'm happy and healthy! My mom caught me up on all the gossip who is getting married who is having babies! I'm excited for you all.
Bradi my mom tells me you are having a girl! Aw! A little Bradi . Can't wait to see her. Send me a ;picture!

Greetings from San Felipe! This week was week one in my new area with my new companion. It was a crazy week. I ate a Guinea Pig and saved my champions life ha-ha.

So first things first. My new area is really nice. I'm pretty sure I am in a really rich area. The houses are nice. They remind me of down town Ogden and there are parks and what not. Basically I feel super spoiled. Not to mention our house is awesome. We have a full first floor of an apartment building. It comes with a living room, a kitchen and two bathrooms. . . . Yeah I know the Hermanas always get the best houses ha-ha.

My new companion is Hermana Campbell from St. George Utah. I was really worried to get a North American companion, mostly for my Spanish, but that hasn't been a problem at all. Hermana Campbell is really strict, focused and organized. So we never speak English, NEVER. She also was a math teacher before her mission and had studied three years of Spanish at BYU so her grammar is amazing. She has the best Spanish of any of the North Americans. It's been really helpful. For the first time in my mission I feel like I am actually getting something out of my language study. We do drills, practices and she is always helping me with my grammar. The ward members told me on Sunday that in one week my Spanish has gotten a lot better. So that's exciting.
We are defiantly two very different people. Hermana Campbell's mind is complex and logical . . . and well . . . I'm just a simpleton ha-ha, but we get along great. She is a really hard worker.

So I ATE A GUINGEA PIG!!! Or as they call it in Peru "Cuy" It actually isn't that bad. Its meat. Taste like chicken ha-ha. I felt pretty awesome I ate my Cuy with my hands sucked all the meat I could off of every bone! I'm basically a Latina! WHOOT!

Other Exciting story, pretty much saved my companions life.. Last night we were standing on a street corner waiting to cross the street. I was up on the curb but Hermana Campbell was down on the road. A huge bus was turning past us and Hermana Campbell wasn't paying attention. I noticed just in time and pulled her away before the bus nailed her. I wasn't able to completely get her out of the way and the bus hit her arm but at least It didn't run her over. Afterwards we tried to contact some people on the corner who had ran over to see if she was o.k. ha-ha. I couldn't stop laughing throughout the entire conversation.

This week is MOTHERS DAY!! I can't even tell you all how excited I am. This vernes we get to do an almuerso with all the Hermanas in the mission! Which means I get to see Hermana Lema! And then Sunday I get to talk to my family! I couldn't be happier.

As far as the obra here in San Felipe. Its good. This area is in better shape than Antares was. The only problem is the elders left us with NO information about their investigators. We have a first name, and a street but nothing else. So great. Maria on the road Ica has been taking the lesson. But Ica is a mile long and we are in Peru do you know how many Marias live in PERU!! It's all good. Luckily the ward members know where the investigators live that have been coming to church and what not. We were able to get permission for a really amazing 15 year old boy. He has been investigating the church for a couple months now and as he said "I'm more active than half the members in our ward" (sad but true) he has wanted to get baptized for a while but his mom didn't feel like he was ready. We taught him a lesson and asked when we could talk to his mom. He was really doubtful that she would grant her permission but he called her into the room. Honestly the Lord has been preparing her heart because we said nothing profound or anything we just talked to her for a minute and then she turns to her son and asks if he wants to get baptized. He told her that he did and he felt ready. Then she looks at us and basically says. "Well then hand me that paper." I wish you could have seen the look on Kenyi´s face. It was the sweetest mix of shock and pure happiness. He hugged his mom and just kept smiling. Afterwards we had Kenyi say the closing prayer. It was the first time Kenyis mom had heard him pray. She was really touched. All and all it was a really sweet experience.

So basically all is well. I miss Hermana Lema. But we all have to grow up and leave our mission moms at some point. Hermana Campbell is a great missionary and I'm sure I have a lot to learn from her and I'm really excited to be here in San Felipe. The ward is small but really helpful. I have a good feeling that with the help of the lord we can really make a difference in this area.

So that's about it for my week!
Love you all!
Hermana Sadie Jean Taggart

May 7, 2012

Me, Hermana Lema, and Dayan in front of our little capilla de Antares. Dayan has been such a help to Hermana Lema and I in our Area. I hope she will keep doing so and help Hermana Lema in these next week weeks.

In the stores here they sell these mini eggs and I have been dying to try them since I got here. So I finally convinced Hermana Lema and we made tinny sunny side up eggs. . . . Sadly tiny eggs taste different and it was gross. But it was an experience ha-ha.

So first things first . . . Hermana Lema and I are getting split up! I'm super sad. Honestly. I was really hoping we would get one more cambio together but I could feel that we weren´t going to. I'm getting transferred to a new area. San Felipe. My new companion is a North American. Crazy! There are only six north American Hermanas in my mission and I am getting put with one of them. I have heard nothing but good about her, and all the Latinos say that she has the best Spanish of any of the North Americans so hopefully she can help me with mine. I get worried that being put with a North American we will just speak English all the time and my Spanish will start sucking, but I'm sure it will all be o.k.

I feel bad for getting transferred. I really do. Right now missionary work in Antares is a lot like running up hill. You have to run twice as hard just to keep up the same pace. Hermana Lema is getting put with another North American that has less time in the mission then I do. Please keep her in your prayers. Hermana Lema is an amazing missionary and if anyone can make a difference in an area like Antares it's her.

This week was good and bad. We had another baptism fall through which is always really difficult! Her family was really unsupportive and put a lot of fear into her mind. But I believe Mishell with get baptized. It's just going to take a lot of faith and a lot of time.

So it's been a while since I have shared a Spanish mix up story. So the weather is finally starting to change here in Lima but it's crazy. The afternoons are still super hot but the nights are really cold. The other night we were walking around and I was freezing so I tried to say to Hermana Leman "I want a jacket." "Yo quiero una chompa." But what I actually said was " Yo quiero un chupon" Which means "I want a hickey." . . .. Well needless to say Hermana Lema was a little surprised, but then again I´ve never been shy when it comes to talking about boys so she just laughs and tells me that I am trunky and that I just have to wait one year more. Well I don't realize that I've made this mistake so I keep going. Saying how I want a "chupon" right now, cuz I think that's how you say jacket. . .. And I can't figure out why she keeps calling me trunky . . . finally Hermana Lema just burst into laughter cuz she realizes what I am trying to say. . . . Yeah you know. . .

This week I reached my six month mark! Crazy! I´ve been thinking about how these past six months have changed me. Physically, Mentally, and Spiritually.

Physically. Somehow I still weigh less than I did when I started my mission. Not sure how cuz we eat SO MUCH in Peru. My hair . . . well I think I have about half the hair I had when I started my mission. (Something they should tell you before you serve a mission in Peru is that the water here is terrible for your hair.) My hair has also gotten bleached from being in the sun everyday and it looks like I have blonde highlights.

Mentally: My idea of clean has changed. It's kind of like when you are camping and you are just ok with being dirty and having things be dirty cuz you are camping. Well that's the mentally that I have pretty much every day but it's more like. It's ok that it's dirty, I'm dirty and everything is dirty cuz I'm in Peru ha-ha.

Spiritually: I am truly thankful for the time that I have here to grow spiritually. I've learned a lot about patience faith and love. But I think the biggest change spiritually I've had is over all I have a lot more trust for the lord then I did before my mission. I had a testimony before my mission, but now I have a trust and admiration for just how perfect Gods plan for us is.

So that's about it for my life.
Two weeks till Mothers Day!
Next week Ill have stories from a new area and a new companion! CRAZY!
I love you all!
Love Hermana Sadie Jean Taggart

Well this week. . . was fun hahaha. A rollercoaster ride as weeks in the mission always are. One of our baptisms feel through which for me was really heart breaking. Mostly because our investigator Eulogia really loved coming to church. She always talked about the Joy and Peace she feels in the iglesia. She wanted to get baptized because she felt like it was what Heavenly Father wanted her to do. Things like that. We had been working with her husband to help him understand and everything was good. . . . yeah and then someone from her old church came to visit. The next day we came over her husband was extremely rude to us. Telling us that we don't know how to pray because we pray with our eyes closed and arms folded. Telling us that we don't love God because we don't scream, and cry and yell when we talk about him. We tried to explain that we prefer to worship in a more reverent way and he just kept cutting us off and saying. Listen I know more about God then you do. Look I'm older then you and I'm not going to have two jovensitas tell me about God. My pastor studied for years to be a pastor. How many years did you study? Honestly . . . I was blown away by his lack of respect for us. He ended by saying that if his wife got baptized he would stop buying her pain medicine and she would have to manage her pain on her own without his help. . .We asked Eulogia what she wanted to do and she said that she thought it was best if she didn't get baptized. We passed by Sunday to pick her up for church and she told us she couldn't go. . . .Really for me it was heart breaking because I know she loves going to church. I know that baptism is essential for her salvation. But I always know God loves Eulogia. He won't give up on her. We won't be able to put all of our attention on her now but I pray that down the road the heart of her husband will be softened.

Really when we have tough weeks like this I am so thankful I am with Hermana Lema! I don't know what I would do without her! She has become one of my best friends. I am so scared for may 1st. Cambios otra vez! The most cambios possible is 4 and right now we have 3. So there is a possibility! I'm just praying that the lord sees fit to leave us together for one more cambio.

Any how that was about it for my week. Sacrament attendance in our ward was the highest it's been in years! Our bishop thanked us for the work we have been doing with the inactive members of our ward. I'm thankful that we finally hard a good relationship with him and that little by little things in Antares are getting better!

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Missionary Scripture

John 21:17"He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."